On Friday, March 2, an international symposium titled “Security in Asia and U.S. Pacific Command” was held in the East Research Building on Mita Campus. This event was organized by the Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI).
Since 2015, Keio University has been involved in a research project titled “Systems in Asia and the Pacific Rim: Flexibility, Resilience, and Stability” as part of its Security Initiative under the Top Global University Project, and at this symposium the fruits of the three years of research were reported.
There has been increasing tension around security in Asia in recent years. While the Japan-US Security Treaty has functioned as one of the foundations for security in Asia, during emergencies, the chain of command for the US military is assumed by the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) with its headquarters located in Hawaii. In the past, studies have been conducted on the United States Forces, Japan (USFJ) and the United States Forces, Korea (USFK). However there has been a paucity of studies on the USPACOM, which is in a higher position of authority to both.
At this symposium, the particular geopolitical risks which exist in Asia today and how the United States Pacific Command could react to these, as well as particular actions the Japanese government and self-defense force could take under the Japan-US alliance were explored.
The symposium was attended by many participants, from researchers and government officials to members of the public and press, all of whom listened enthusiastically to the lectures and discussions.